Almond Butter Cake

Hello friends! Time to dust off this old blog & send out a new recipe! And it's a good one!

In the last few months a new local bakery opened up, and boy oh boy, they're CRAZY good. I cannot stay away. Everything they make and sell is fantastic, but one of my standbys is an individual almond butter cake, best enjoyed with a vanilla latte or peppermint tea. Inspired by that cake is this full-size rendition. It's rich, dense, and has the loveliest subtle flavour of almond. In the words of my good friend Emily, "OMG. I could eat the whole thing." Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, melted 

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly combine melted butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add 2 lightly beaten eggs and mix vigorously for 1-2 minutes, or until it appears creamy. Add salt, vanilla & almond extract and sifted flour. Mix again until combined. Lightly grease a springform or 9-inch cake tin and place a measured parchment round on the base. Pour the batter into the pan and evenly sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top. Bake for 50 minutes or until the a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. If the almonds brown faster than the cake bakes, place aluminum foil over the top.

"A great many things can be resolved with kindness, even more with laughter, but there are some things that just require cake." ♥️ 

My Favourite Gingersnaps

I almost called these "Snappy Gingersnaps", I know, I'm sorry, we're better than that. It's true though, they're a cinch to make and don't take very long from start to finish....or very long from start to finishing them all off with a glass of milk, for that matter. That leads to my next confession: I've made these 3 times in the last week. Both of my brothers have declared that gingersnaps are their favourite kind of cookie so every time the cookies run out I just keep making more! Maybe I'll take a break when we run out of molasses... but probably not.

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
Sugar for rolling


Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine together the brown sugar, molasses, canola oil, and egg until smooth. Mix the flour mixture into the brown sugar mixture, stirring until dough comes together.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop up dough by the heaping teaspoonful and roll into balls between your palms, about the size of a quarter. Roll the balls in sugar and place on the baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 8 minutes – if you like crispy gingersnaps, try 9 or 10 minutes.

Cookies will be very soft but will firm up. Leave on the baking sheet several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a glass of ice cold milk. =)

Recipe from 17 and Baking

Sweet & Salty Pretzel Bites

So I discovered the easiest dessert in the world... besides simply unwrapping a chocolate bar that is. I made these treats for a small get together and they were eaten up almost as quickly as the time it took to make them. They need only 3 ingredients, maybe 10 minutes, & are really hard to screw up (bonus!). Did I mention how good they are? Mmmm. You're never gonna look at a Rolo the same way again.

You'll Need:
Mini Pretzel Twists
Pecan Halves
Rolo Chocolates

To Make:
1. Lay your pretzels out on a baking tray covered with parchment & top each with an unwrapped Rolo.
2. Put tray into a 250°F oven for no longer than 4 to 5 minutes. Remove. Rolos should retain their shape.
3. Press a pecan half into the top of each Rolo.
4. Place the baking tray in the freezer for 5-7 minutes to cool the Rolos to room temperature.
5. Devour. =)

"Recipe" from Glorious Treats

♥

Waffles for One

I've been wanting to try making waffles for quite a while. The urge usually strikes on quiet mornings when I'm home alone. Buuuut, I always seem to talk myself out of it. "Who's going to eat them all?", "Will this waffle maker from the 60's even work?", "I don't have any buttermilk", "Toast and yogurt is so much easier.." Blah, blah, blah.

But today! Today I told my brain to quiet down and I hauled out the super old Toastermaster Waffle Iron from the back of the cupboard and set to work. I chose this recipe because it had a smaller overall yield and really really positive reviews. I didn't have any buttermilk so I made an excellent substitute with lemon juice - see the link below.

About halfway through making the recipe I saw that I had to whip egg whites and make soft peaks and then gently incorporate them...and I got thinking that maybe this was going to be more effort than it would be worth. I persevered, though, (although it was super easy and totally not a big deal) and I'm quite happy to report that they were most definitely worth it. There is something really special about putting effort into a meal that is just for you and no one else. After all, you've got to love yourself too.

Light & Crisp Buttermilk Waffles   
 Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking

3/4 cup all-purpose flour        
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk (substitute)
1/4 cup milk
6 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large egg, separated
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract 

Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 200°F and turn on your waffle iron.

Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Measure the buttermilk, milk, and vegetable oil in a liquid measuring cup. Add the egg yolk and set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg white to soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are firm and glossy. Beat in the vanilla.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Drop the whipped egg white onto the batter in dollops and fold in with a rubber spatula just until incorporated.

Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron and cook until the waffle is crisp and browned. Every waffle maker is a bit different so experiment with the temperature and amount of batter to add until you get it right. Put the cooked waffles in the oven, directly on the rack to keep it warm and crisp (don't stack them). Repeat with the remaining batter, holding the waffles in the oven. When all the waffles are all cooked serve immediately with all your favourite toppings. Hard to go wrong with powdered sugar & peaches.

Favourite Music Pairing: Ella Fitzgerald, I've Got a Crush on You  =)

**Even though I made a smaller batch, I ended up with about 10 extra waffles. I know they don't keep well so I am freezing them. I've read online that they freeze really well for 1-2 months and are easy to reheat in the toaster. Suh-weeeet!

Watermelon-Lime Freeze

Have you noticed the influx of recipes for watermelon popsicles, lemonade, smoothies, slushies, and sorbet? I have been seeing them ev-er-y-where...all over the internet and in magazines, all summer long! Today I finally said, "Okay, let's do this then if it's such a big deal!" I didn't use one specific recipe for my version of this drink but tried to draw inspiration from the many, many ones I'd seen. Regardless, it's reaaaaally simple. I'm talking 3 ingredients.

I was surprised at how well watermelon blends; I kind of expected it to be a watery mess of pink pulp. The secret, I feel, is to freeze the watermelon in chunks. This gives the drink it's cold, frosty nature, but also eliminates the need for ice cubes, which will dilute the more subtle flavour of the melon. So, have these frozen ahead of time and the drink will come together super quick. You will also need lemon-lime soda & one lime. I felt the drink was sweet enough, but you could add agave or simple syrup if you wanted.

We enjoyed these on a sunny afternoon - a perfect accompaniment to a plate of sliced watermelon or a barbecue. Wouldn't it also be lovely on it's own while sunbathing or reading a book outside? Definitely yes. Can you believe it's almost September? Fastest summer of my life! Pretty soon it'll be Pumpkin Spice Lattes instead of cold, fruity drinks so make some while you still can!



Watermelon-Lime Freeze
2 1/2 cups frozen watermelon chunks
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup (approx.) lemon-lime soda

Instructions:
Add frozen watermelon chunks and lime juice to blender. Add enough soda to combine to preferred consistency. Garnish with watermelon slices or lime wedges - mmm, enjoy! Xo

BBQ Virgin

I'm still kind of bitter that my parents never bought or used a barbecue while I was growing up. Whenever I would ask why, the answer was always, "Oh I don't knowwww, what would we even cook on one of those?" To which I would always answer, "Um...anything? Everything?!" I learned early (mostly from eating barbecued deliciousness at friends' houses) that cooking something on a barbecue makes it taste like magic.

After 20-something years of frustration and desperation, I finally caved. I think it was a recipe on Pinterest that finally broke this camel's back. I drove to Canadian Tire, found their charcoal barbecues and bought the one that spoke to my inner grilling goddess, only $29.99! Coming from a family who doesn't barbecue, I had no idea what else I had to buy...but this guy did (don't you love him?) and so I promptly bought a bag of charcoal, lighter fluid and a grill scraper/cleaner.

My brother, also deprived for much of his life, helped me assemble the grill. To christen the grill I decided I would make marinated vegetable kabobs, hotdogs & a simple lentil salad. Yuuuuuuum!

This stage was a bit sketchy for me. More coals & more fluid next time...or maybe one of those electric lighters.

Lentil salad with cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta, parsley & balsamic vinaigrette. Recipe from Ginger Fig

Pre-grill veggies: green & yellow zucchini, bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes & mushrooms. Marinade recipe from wash.the.dog

Just look at those beauties. We just grilled and ate..and then grilled some more and kept eating until we were sooo full. I may not be a BBQ virgin anymore but I'm super stoked for more firsts: chicken wings, salmon, burgers, maybe a thin crust pizza... Oh boy.

Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Chicken

There were two boneless skinless chicken breasts sitting in my fridge the other day...just waiting to be used. I considered tossing them in the oven with a bit of seasoning and then using them in salads but it just seemed waaaay too boring. I decided lettuce wraps sounded a little more exciting, a little more fun and a lot tastier!

Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Chicken                                   

Recipe adapted from She Wears Many Hats

 Stir Fry Sauce:
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. fresh ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil

 Peanut Chicken:

2 chicken breasts, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 tsp. garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh ginger

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 heaped tbsp. peanut butter

1/4 cup slivered almonds (cashews would be a great substitute)

oil

salt & pepper, to taste

10 large lettuce leaves (romaine or iceberg)

1 cup brown rice, cooked according to package

 Instructions:

1. Mix all stir fry sauce ingredients making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.

2. Heat your oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add diced chicken and sautee until it starts to brown. Remove chicken from oil.

3. Add onions, peppers, garlic, ginger & soy sauce to pan. Let it brown and reduce. When onions and peppers are tender, add stir fry sauce, peanut butter, browned chicken, and almonds. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.

4. Spoon brown rice into individual lettuce leaves and then top with the chicken. Wrap it up and enjoy!

Spiiiicy Green Beans

I think I've been craving these green beans since December...when I had a similar version at the Chinese restaurant in the mall food court. These ones, however, don't have MSG and don't sit under heat lamps for any period of time. My mouth is watering now, just thinking about them...mmm, yum! The beans stay fresh and keep some of their crunch. There is nothing worse than a floppy green bean, am I right? I'm a medium heat kind of girl, but the spice level is super easy to control if you like more or less. Make these in 10 minutes and then watch them disappear even faster. I ate an impressive amount all by myself.

 Spicy Green Beans

1 lb. French green beans, washed and trimmed
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 pat butter
1 tsp. garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ginger, grated (I used frozen Pop Herbs)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt & black pepper
1/4 cup ginger teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1. Heat sesame oil and butter in a large pan on med-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and sautee for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add green beans to the pan. Sautee until beans begin to develop dark colour (and flavour!), about 5 minutes. Place a lid over the pan during this step to help the beans steam and become more tender.

3. Season beans with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

4. When beans are fork tender, add the sauce and stir to coat evenly. Remove from heat promptly as the sauce will burn really quickly. (I think any sauce with Asian flavours would work in this step - use what you've got!)

5. Transfer beans to serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Turkey Mushroom Burgers

I decided I wanted to make something really delicious for last night's Canucks game. In theory, it was supposed to be a great playoff game - the beginning of our comeback. In actuality, it was the last game of our season and ended up being emotionally exhausting. The game didn't go according to plan, but the burgers really did! I decided not to use a recipe and to "wing it" instead. I love how they turned out and will definitely be using this formula again! This recipe made 8 patties, but you could make more or less by changing their size. Alternately you could form these into meatballs or put it into a meatloaf tin. 

Turkey Mushroom Burgers 

1 pkg lean ground turkey (mine was 0.356kg or about 3/4 lb.)
3 pieces of whole wheat bread - ground into breadcrumbs
15 cremini mushrooms
1 large sweet onion
1 egg
1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
salt & pepper

In a food processor, chop half of the mushrooms and half of the sweet onion until fine. Sautee on medium heat until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated and the onions are tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix together with clean hands. Be careful not to burn your hands if the mushrooms/onions are still hot. At this point, if you find the mix too wet or sticky, add some more breadcrumbs. If it's too dry, you could add a little bit of broth or even another egg. If you can, let the mixed ingredients sit in the fridge for a couple hours to really let the flavours combine.

Form the burgers and place in a hot, oiled pan. Cook on medium heat, about 6 minutes per side. Don't be afraid to get dark colour on the burgers - it will give them really good flavour and shouldn't taste burnt. If you're using a meat thermometer, make sure the internal temperature is 165°F. At the end, place a piece of mozzarella cheese on top and allow it to melt..provolone would be really good too. Putting a lid over your pan will speed up the melting time. Before you construct your burger, sautee the remaining half an onion and mushrooms on low heat until they begin to caramelize. The longer you cook them, the tastier they will be.

My perfect burger toppings included lettuce, tomato, avocado, mayonnaise and mustard but customize to your liking..and then enjoy! Let me know what you think! =)

Kickin' Fish Tacos

One of my closest gal pals, Jenae, is home for a month! I'm ecstatic! This summer the two of us are setting out for some world travelling, so, to prepare we have big plans to finalize our itinerary, master the art of DSLR photography and get a little more in touch with our creative sides. We wanted to kick off her break with a fantastic meal. Since we're both a bit addicted to avocados, cilantro and limes, it made sense to make these delicious fish tacos - a recipe found through Pinterest (we're a bit addicted to that too). The fish is pan fried until golden, then topped with a spicy slaw and avocado! Wipe that saliva off your chin and go try this recipe out! =)

Kickin' Fish Tacos
Recipe adapted from Censational Girl

4 fresh white fish fillets (we used Tilapia)
8 small size torillas - corn or flour
1 1/4 cup of each (shredded): green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
3/4 cup light sour cream
3 limes
1 bunch cilantro
1 tbsp vinegar (we used red wine vinegar)
oil
salt & pepper

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce were a foreign ingredient to me until last summer when I used them to make spicy chicken wings - yum. In this recipe they are used to give the slaw dressing a heated punch. Only one pepper is needed - cut it open and remove the seeds. Make sure you save a couple teaspoons of the adobo sauce the peppers are packed in for the dressing.

In a food processor, blend the chipotle pepper, 2 tsp of adobo sauce, sour cream, juice of 1 lime, a handful of cilantro & vinegar until smooth. Pour over the shredded cabbage and carrot and mix until well combined. Set aside.

Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and pan fry on medium heat with a bit of oil until cooked through. It would be amazing to grill these on a BBQ in the summer. Squeeze half a lime over top while cooking to infuse some extra flavour!

Heat tortillas in a pan with 1 tbsp of oil, turning over after 30 seconds or until they begin to "puff" slightly. Transfer to a plate with paper towel.

Slice up some avocados. I say "some" because you can never have too much. We used 2 for 3 people (it's a healthy fat!). Chop up a bit of extra cilantro and wedge some limes for garnish.

Compile all the ingredients, fold it up and devour! These are so delicious and you don't even have to feel guilty about enjoying a few of them! These would be perfect for a summer meal on the patio with ice cold lemonade or frozen drinks. Let me know what you think!

PS - I just bought a used DSLR camera and these are some of the first pictures I've taken with it. I'm still getting the hang of it! It's fun, but there are quite a lot more buttons than on my cell phone! =)

Banana Smoothie

I've had a few days off from work and my desire to cook anything requiring effort is reaaal low. These are the days I'm thankful for blenders. Push one button and BAM...a meal! I'm pretty boring though because I have roughly two smoothies that I alternate between - a green smoothie and a berry smoothie. I was feeling bored with those options so I decided to turn one of my favourite mid-day snacks, bananas and peanut butter, into a smoothie. It's wicked fast to make, delicious to consume and very simple to clean up. Here's how I did it:

1. Gather your ingredients. You could use soy milk or cow's milk if you prefer. I chose Almond simply because I saw it in the fridge first. Also shown are bananas, peanut butter, ground flax seed & ice cubes.

2. Next put about 8 ice cubes in your blender with 2/3 cup of milk. Sprinkle 1-2 tsp of ground flax over the top. Put on the blender lid (safety first, kids) and turn your blender on. Every blender is different and you're the expert on how yours works best. I have a Vita-Mix, so I start on variable, speed 1 and slowly increase to 10. Add more milk if it's too thick.

3. When all the ice is blended, add in 2 bananas and 1 Tbsp of peanut butter. I added extra because I have a problem. Blend again until smooth.

4. Pour into a tall glass. Yuuuuum. This should make enough for one meal-size serving or two snack-size servings.

Enjoy!

Copycat Crunchwrap Supreme

After months of reminders, requests and pleas, I decided to try to recreate one of my brother's favourite fast food delicacies - the Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell!

It was the perfect occasion, a Vancouver Canucks game night, so I gathered up my ingredients & supplies and set to work! Despite it being fast food, I expected it to be harder than it was! I was pleasantly surprised at how straightforward the steps were and that nothing went wrong! Here's how to make these beauties --

Curry Cravings

I'm stuck in a craving rut. Chocolate? Not feeling it. Soup? I'm okay without it (this is shocking if you really know me). Peanut Butter? It's all good and well, but I'm definitely not craving it. For the past two weeks or so all I can think about eating are dishes with garam masala, coconut milk, cilantro, basmati rice or naan. I've had Indian food on the brain and the cravings are driving me nuts! A couple days ago I just had to get in the kitchen and do something about it. I had seen a delicious looking recipe for Aloo Gobi, or Cauliflower Curry, on Pinterest and decided to recreate it.

Image taken from my Instagram account

It was reallllly delicious and I may or may not have had a bit of trouble sharing it. I did make a few alterations to suit my personal tastes, such as increasing the amount of each spice, adding a bit of tomato paste and also green peas at the last minute. YUM! If you decide to try this one out, ensure that your potatoes are not cut too big, unless they have been parboiled, or you'll be waiting awhile for them to cook through. For me, this is warm, comforting soul-food and I would eat it daily if I could!